


Our Truth

by Arwen88



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Dick is a soft alpha, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2020-07-23 19:22:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20013517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arwen88/pseuds/Arwen88
Summary: "How long it's been, Dick? Since the last time you found someone interested in you?"Ron knew it was a dangerous game he was playing, but he had also spent the last month studying his new Company, and even more time studying the man that had risen up in the ranks to become a major.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Rarepair & Friendship Meme of Easy Company Troopers, prompt: “Dick Winters/Ronald Speirs - Gimme that Alpha/Alpha thing or one of them as a very stoic Omega and a very sweet Alpha. Or even a Genderswap. Ron watching for Dick's well being, please.”
> 
> A thousand thanks to ThrillingDetectiveTales for betareading this!
> 
> Title is from "Our Truth" by Lacuna Coil.

After the ordeal of the Ardennes everybody was more than glad to have a safer place - away from the front line - to be. Haguenau had looked almost like England when they discovered they all could sleep in real beds and take hot showers, but it was still the front line and Mourmelon-le-Grand was not. Somehow that was enough for the town to look more beautiful to them than the first time they had been there the previous November.

The officers were billeted mostly all together and the air seemed lighter, relaxed in a way it hadn't been since before Holland. Nobody said anything when the officers started playing poker after completing their duties, everybody around them feeling already that the war was almost over.

Dick wouldn't usually join the other officers in their games, but with rumors of Lewis about to be sent off to England once more - alone this time - he found himself accepting. He told himself that it wouldn't cause a problem with his relationship to the other officers. It wasn't like betting against privates that could have resented them, they mostly made the same pay. Two rounds and Dick found himself sighing softly, not wanting to alert Lewis that he wasn't having that much fun but not really enjoying the betting. But the company was good, the men he had known for far longer than anybody else around him all relaxed and talking about nothing, having a good laugh and drinking lazily. As much as he didn't like to play, he did like sitting beside his friends and listening to their chatter, happy with his knowledge that they were all still alive and in better condition than Bastogne had left them.

The only one around the table he didn't know very well was Ronald Speirs. Dick's gaze fell on the man on the other side of the table, black hair, black eyes, his intense gaze fixed on his cards.

Thinking back on it Dick still had no idea how Speirs had ended up being right behind him when Easy had taken the town of Foy, but Dick was grateful for it since the man was clearly a good commander for Easy Company and Dick's boys deserved better than a stuffed puppet like Dike.

In the weeks since Foy he and Ronald - "Ron," the man had said to call him - had found themselves getting better acquainted, the lieutenant eager to get to know the Company better, to know what was lacking and what their men had in spades. Dick approved of it, the eagerness to know the men, the way Ron was clearly befriending Carwood, often asking for his input since Ron was more than capable of recognizing that the sergeant had known the Easy boys since the first days at Toccoa and had a better insight than an officer just transferred from another company like Ron was.

As he was looking at Ron the man raised his eyes, probably feeling watched, and Dick went back to watching his own cards, wondering if it would be too bad to fold and leave the gambling to the others, maybe just stand there and watch them have fun.

***

Ron was leaning back in his chair, watching as the other officers finished collecting their wins and bade their goodnights, the more sober ones helping those who had drunk most stagger up to the bedrooms.

Except Nixon, didn't matter how much the man drank, he never showed it.

Ron let his gaze roam from the man now disappearing through the door to the one that was still there with him. There was a little frown pulling at Dick's eyebrows and a concerned look in his eyes that didn't disappear even after Nixon had disappeared from his sight and he was left staring at the space he had occupied a moment before.

Ron sat there in silence, watching Dick clearly lost in his thoughts, his hands on his hips and the look of someone that wanted badly to follow but couldn't let himself. Ron was quite sure that the man hadn't even noticed he wasn't the only one in the room.

"He is not interested, is he?" Ron asked calmly, his voice not loud enough to be heard from upstairs but loud enough in the silence of the room to have Dick snap his eyes back in his direction.

The surprised look in his eyes pulled a smile at Ron's lips, his suspicion that the major hadn't even noticed he was still there confirmed when Dick took in his figure and blinked in surprise. He couldn’t know, though, if Dick’s confusion was just pretend in response to his question or if it was a legitimate reaction to finally noticing Ron lingering while the others had left.

But he was certain of having caught on to what really was happening and so he never let his eyes wander away from the other's gaze.

He slowly put his tumbler back on the table and stood up, circling the table to get closer to Dick.

"How long it's been, Dick? Since the last time you found someone interested in you?"

Ron knew it was a dangerous game he was playing, but he had also spent the last month studying his new Company, and even more time studying the man that had risen up in the ranks to become a major. Dick had started as a platoon leader in Toccoa just as Ron, but had risen in the ranks since their jump in Normandy in a way that, truth be told, Ron did not envy. They weren't men made to stay behind a desk. They were cut out for the action, for the adrenaline that came when they led their men out there against the enemy. He had watched Dick, first to see if he was a man able to command more than just his own platoon - even if Ron had always had a suspicion that Dick would be stellar even in his new role - and then because, since Foy, Dick would often approach him to talk about Easy. Something like a friendship had started to form and Ron had been close enough to Dick, Harry, Nixon and Lipton to see the different dynamics at play in there. He was pretty sure he had not misjudged the way Nixon and Dick seemed to orbit around the other, the way they walked too close, spoke with their heads bent almost brushing, the way Dick's eyes would sometimes fall over Nixon's lips.

But Nixon would more often than not pull away and Ron thought he knew the reason sometimes Dick seemed just a tad off. Never worried, or scared. Just a bit lonely and sad.

Ron wasn't there to challenge Dick's authority, or to threaten him. He was there because he needed the same thing he thought Dick needed, because he didn't think he could have found a better man to share his time with. Also because it was difficult in such a trying situation to find another alpha not much interested in women or strictly omegas.

***

"I think you had too much to drink." Dick stood still, all his attention on Ron who was now standing in front of him.

"Maybe," Ron conceded with a slight shrug that hinted to a calm that was betrayed by the tightness around his eyes. "Maybe it's just that I watch and I see things the others don't see. That's why I know you’re interested but he isn't."

Dick kept silent, knowing that he hadn't yet said anything truly compromising. Still he didn't know what game Ron was playing.

"How long’s it been?" Ron went on. "Since England? Back at Toccoa?"

"I don't think I know what you're talking about," Dick said slowly, hands on his hips, just a hint of an alpha tone in his voice, the one he would usually keep down while speaking to his friends, preferring to use it only out on the field.

"Sure you know, but if it's easier we can pretend I said nothing. Or we could pretend nothing happened in the morning." Ron kept looking straight into Dick's eyes even though he kept his posture lax and no hint of his own alpha tone in his voice.

Dick knew it was a foolish idea but the more he looked at Ron the more he saw a genuine desire for something different than the friendship they had established up until that point. And Ron was right: it had been a long time. For as much as he wanted to have the chance for another kind touch in his life, he wasn't sure what Ron thought he had seen between him and Lewis. He wouldn't have expected Ron to offer such a thing to start with, so he really didn't know what to expect next.

Ron let a grin tug at his lips when Dick moved his gaze rapidly to the door the others had disappeared from not long before, looking back at Ron after a moment. "You can pretend I'm him if you want, I won't mind." He shrugged with one shoulder at the way Dick's eyebrows suddenly went up in obvious surprise.

"Why?" Dick asked after a short silence. Truly, he didn't think there could have been another question more appropriate and less compromising.

For the first time since he had decided to speak up, Ron hesitated, probably considering that the straight answer he had to give Dick would bring him outside of the gray area they had been toying with up until that moment. If he kept hinting about them having sex Dick would have proof enough to court martial him if he so desired. But Dick had always been a good man, never judging the vices of the people around him, and he hoped Ron would trust him to not start just then.

"You're handsome. I have a thing for reliable and capable people," Ron admitted slowly. "Also I've hit a dry spell since England too. Not many are interested here, busy thinking of me as the monster under the bed."

Dick answered with a snort that sounded unusual coming from him, but then he smiled vaguely and Ron knew it was a yes.

***

Dick was sitting on the edge of his bed, his thighs spread enough to accomodate Ron between them, and Ron enjoyed the chance to touch the man at his leisure, to rub his hands over the pale skin of his thighs, to run the tips of his fingers through red curly hair before he wrapped his fingers around the half hard erection in front of him. He leaned closer with a soft sigh, eager, and slowly swirled his tongue around the head of Dick's cock.

Ron closed his eyes, enjoying the salty, musky taste of the man, the way his scent screamed alpha in such an erogenous part of his body. It was enough to make Ron achingly hard, but instead of bringing one hand to cup his own erection, he kept focusing on the other man.

Ron rejoiced in the fingers Dick raked through his hair, tugging and holding him close, in the way Dick's breath came out in short puffs already even though Ron had barely started licking at his erection. He looked at the man in front of him and smiled briefly at the sight of Dick's flushed pink cheeks, holding his gaze as Ron parted his lips to take Dick’s cock in his mouth.

Dick closed his eyes and bit his lip to suffocate a moan, his grip on Ron's hair tightening instinctively. It simply seemed to encourage Ron into taking more and more of his erection in his mouth. Abruptly Dick had to bite the knuckles of his free hand to avoid a loud groan at feeling his cock completely engulfed in the hot, wet mouth of the other man.

He lay back on the bed when Ron started massaging his knot with his fingers, his lips wrapped just above it for a moment before Ron started moving up, sucking him hard.

Dick had not experimented anything like that and he only hoped Ron would not let go until he had reached his orgasm, every thought about propriety or the opinions of the men sleeping in the adjacent rooms erased from his mind.

Ron shifted on the floor, spreading his legs a bit more so his fatigues tightened against his cock, giving him at least the smallest friction to ease the excitement of seeing Dick react so openly to what he was doing to him.

He stopped with his lips wrapped just under the head of Dick's cock, focusing on lapping at the sensitive skin there as he tried kneading at the other alpha's knot a little more roughly. The little snap of hips that came from the man in front of him made a shiver of arousal run through him, the pleasure of knowing Dick was deeply enjoying it giving Ron a wave of pride.

He moved down on Dick’s erection once more, not stopping this time until he had all of it filling his mouth, the glans hitting the back of his throat to force Dick into a pleasure so mind numbing that Dick found himself unable to hold back the little trusts of his hips, the little sounds escaping him despite the hand he kept planted firmly over his mouth. Soon the rhythm he found in his ministrations had Dick throwing his head back, his grip in Ron’s hair almost painful and even more enticing to Ron for that.

Dick was the most responsive partner Ron had ever had and he couldn't understand for the life of him why a beta like Nixon wasn't already in a relationship with the alpha. Everybody had seen how close they were at Camp Toccoa years before, and yet Ron had seen the way Nixon came back from his visits to English cities, or even Paris, smelling of women and happily recounting that he had had a pleasant stay. But Dick had never commented on it, didn’t even react the evening Nixon said maybe he might meet some "friend" during his upcoming stay in England. A not-so-casual glance thrown Nixon’s way but no critique whatsoever. The only reason Ron could possibly see for Nixon keeping his distance from Dick was the fact that Dick wasn't just the kind of man that one would have wanted to push into being a homewrecker - even if everybody knew Nixon wasn't so in love with his wife - too pure to be made feel guilty about loving someone. And it was clear to everybody that there was love between the two men.

He sucked at Dick harder, proud of the way Dick tensed under him, breathless, and decided just then that he would take what he wanted from the man but would also make sure to give back anything Dick needed.

***

They didn't talk about what had happened between them in Dick's room for the next two days.

Ron had looked at Dick the morning after, wondering if there would be any kind of acknowledgement, but nothing was forthcoming aside from a couple glances while Dick was talking to him directly. Dick spent the rest of the time in Nixon’s company and Ron actually found himself smiling a bit at the thought that maybe what he had done had been useful at least to push those two in each other's arms.

Dick was the kind of man that people wanted to find some happiness, the sooner the better. At the end of the day no one was guaranteed to reach the end of the war alive. Ron figured it was a good thing, for him to have had at least a brief outlet for his lust and for Dick to finally discuss having some form of relationship with the man he loved. But Ron watched, both from afar while surveilling the Easy Company and from up close when the officers had the reason or the chance to regroup, and even if Dick spent all his time beside Nixon - or vice versa - nothing had seemed to change. They were still close but never touching, the concern on Dick's gaze even more pronounced than before.

It wasn't until Harry informed him that Nixon had been selected to be an observer for another jump and had to go back to England, leaving their regiment behind, that Ron suddenly understood that Dick’s behavior the last few days hadn’t been pining but real concern.

It was more than understandable, this close to the end of the war, for the major to be worried about the fate of one of his closest friends, who would be jumping with people none of them knew.

In Haguenau Dick had told their men that they were too close to the end of it to take any chances, and now the brass had chosen to do just that with their S-3.

It was no surprise that Dick had wanted to spend as much time as possible with Nixon before his departure.

***

Nixon had left by train only a couple hours before when Ron slipped out of his room after making sure everybody else had retired already. He walked to Dick's door, knocked once, and waited for permission to slip inside.

Dick put down his pen, looking at him from across the desk. "Ron. What can I do for you?"

Ron jerked his head to the side in a curt dismissal but kept silent for a moment as they looked at each other. For the first time since they had been in that same room alone Ron took stock of the dark circles under Dick's eyes, the worry barely concealed, and he suddenly felt like an ass for having misread things so much. He had hoped that their affair could have helped both of them but - partly because they didn't know each other so well, and partly because Ron hadn’t even tried asking Dick about why he was staring so much at Nixon, knowing it was none of his business - the whole reason Dick had been coiled so tight lately had flown right over his head.

He took a step further into the room before speaking, keeping his voice low and trusting that Dick would understand what he meant through his tone more than his words. "Is there anything I can do for you?" 

It took a couple of seconds before understanding dawned on Dick and then the man parted his lips, eyebrows going up in surprise. "Ah."

Ron felt a bit like smiling then, but he didn't want to scare Dick away, fully conscious that people always seemed thrown off by his smiles, so he merely let the corner of his mouth curl as he stepped closer to the desk.

"There's no need-" Dick started, but Ron interrupted him with a shake of his head.

"I want to."

***

Ron grabbed the pillow and tugged at it until he could press his face into it to suffocate any sound that escaped him. His pants pulled down his thighs, he had taken off his jacket and shirt before perching on the edge of Dick's mattress on all fours, his ass up for the major behind him to touch freely.

And Dick had every intention to fully enjoy the chance to touch Ron as much as he wanted, doing nothing to hurry the moment he would take Ron. Instead he had started fingering Ron ever so slowly, working him open with calm attention, enjoying the foreplay as much as what would come after.

Ron wasn't really used to somebody taking all that care with him, more familiar with quick fucks and a pain that he would ignore after it was over. But Dick had taken care to use enough vaseline that Ron's muscles barely protested when the first finger slipped inside, and by the time Dick had pushed in the second Ron was already rocking his hips, trying to get more, his cock slowly swaying between his legs.

Then Dick turned his fingers inside of him and Ron had had to make a grab for the pillow, pushing his face in it to not let the whole floor hear him moan at Dick touching just the right spot. He barely noticed when Dick's movements became quicker, lost as he was in pleasure, too close to the edge already after barely minutes of Dick leading him to his own bed.

Even if he knew what was to - finally - come, Ron couldn't help a soft protest when Dick pulled his fingers free. He licked his lips as he listened closely to the sounds of the major opening his own pants before pulling them down. A moment later Ron closed his eyes at the feeling of the other's hot erection starting to press against him and he tried pushing back against it.

Dick didn't even try to keep him still, aware that Ron might have liked bottoming for him, but he wasn't really the kind of man to stay idle. Instead he brought his free hand to Ron's hip, holding tight as he used the other to guide his cock slowly inside the man, biting off a groan at the feeling of pure bliss at being enveloped in his hot body. As soon as he could he grabbed both Ron's hips and started moving, rocking his hips shallowly at first, working the man open, but then with more strength as Ron started pushing back on his erection.

Ron pressed his face on Dick's pillow, inhaling the scent of the other alpha in short breaths, and he held onto it with a white-knuckled grip as Dick's thrusts became faster and faster in answer to his own movements. It was more than he had dared hope when he had started to think about talking Dick into having sex with him weeks before, and he suddenly found his thighs tremble as he started spilling. It would have been embarrassing to cum that fast if not for the fact that Dick had touched and teased him for so long before finally taking him.

Dick didn't say anything, just kept on moving and riding Ron's orgasm, chasing his own pleasure until his thrusts became erratic, too close to keep his rhythm.

Ron let his head hang between his shoulders, looking upside down at the pale legs framed by his own, barely visible over the edge of Ron’s pants. He gritted his teeth when Dick stopped abruptly and started pulling out to avoid filling him. It was foolish, but Ron found himself pushing back against the man. “Knot me.”

“What?” Dick faltered in his movements, stopping and looking in shock down at the man in front of him.

Ron closed his eyes for a moment, knowing it was a stupid thing to ask, could get them in trouble if somebody was to look for them just in that moment. He was kind of shocked at himself for even wanting it, but Dick had been the best fuck he had had in years and he wanted it to finish even better.

“Knot me.” He sighed, preparing himself for Dick to pull out anyway.

But Dick merely rubbed his back with one hand. “Are you sure, Ron?”

Ron nodded his head, some part of him strangely glad that Dick had called him by name. He licked his lips, pushing himself back against the man. “Knot me,” he repeated, a little more confident in his request but not much louder. He closed his eyes at feeling the other man bend over, covering his back and brushing his lips against the nape of Ron’s neck.

Instead of verbally answering him Dick just went back to holding his hips. He pulled out almost completely then, only to shove back in him hard in one single thrust that had Ron gasp in the pillow, his eyes snapping open as the knot lodged itself in him.

Ron was left trembling and coming once more at the pleasure of the knot pressing against that magic spot inside of him. He heard the soft groan that escaped Dick and he was glad he had the pillow to smother all his sounds. They should have been more careful, he knew, but then Dick started spilling inside of him and Ron didn’t give a damn about anything else anymore.

Dick kept still for a while before bending down once more to press a soft kiss on the nape of Ron’s neck as he rubbed slow circles on the other man’s sides. “How are you?”

“Fine.” Ron nodded his head, taking a breath before looking over his shoulder at the other alpha. “You?”

Dick nodded, half a smile on his lips.

He looked tired but satisfied, and Ron counted that as a win.

***

They kept fucking in the subsequent days, mostly hiding in Dick’s room after everybody else was asleep, sometimes not even taking the time to divest of their uniforms, barely opening their pants and pulling them down enough to be able to grab at each other. They took care to not let their activities or any change in their personal relationship show when they were with others, neither of them finding any difficulty in it since they did prefer to focus on their jobs. It would have also been difficult to convince people they weren’t fraternizing if they were found with Dick fucking the soul out of Ron.

Ron found that Dick was truly a sweet partner, always the caring alpha even when they had no time at all to spare. Dick would shush him quietly even while pressing Ron against a wall, his lubed fingers probing at Ron’s hole until he was able to ease them inside without Ron hissing under his breath. It was one more thing Ron wasn’t used to, though he was starting to find out Dick had the uncanny ability to make him discover new things he would quickly fall in love with.

Having somebody take the time to make him feel good without asking for anything back for once felt good. He loved how Dick would start slowly rub his aching cock against one of Ron’s naked asscheeks in search of some relief even as he kept thrusting his fingers in and out of Ron painfully slow, crooking and twisting them in ways that made Ron cum hard against the wall with a muffled groan. Ron would press his forehead against the cold wall then, trying to not sag in the afterglow, and would let Dick choose if he wanted to finally take him or simply get off against his sweaty skin. He never complained either way, and sometimes they didn’t have time for anything more than some quick fingering and humping.

They both seemed satisfied with it, and Ron never questioned his choices, though there were little moments that left him unsure of where they were going, a bit as if he had missed a step in the darkness but found his footing again right after. Dick would throw him a little smile as they redressed in a hurry, a glint that Ron couldn’t decipher in his eyes, and Ron would found himself unable not to reciprocate.

It wasn’t really what he had expected when he had proposed to suck the man off days before, but - if he had to be honest with himself - it was going better than he had dared hope.

***

“I like your smile.”

It was out of the blue and Ron had to stop admiring his little pile of silver to turn and look at Dick, taking in the way he stood there, one shoulder propped against the doorframe, clutching at a mug of coffee, a soft smile on his lips as he regarded Ron.

It took Ron a couple of seconds to shake off the disorienting feeling after the shock at understanding that Dick had been really speaking to him, referring to his smile of all things. He had not even noticed he had ended up smiling at his little collection of spoons and cups until the words of the other man had echoed in his mind. Yet the other alpha was still looking at him, calm as he pleased, and Ron wasn’t sure what to say.

He wasn’t even sure if Dick had been joking or not.

“Too many teeth,” he blurted out, feeling stupid a moment later, and he turned once more to his loot to stop looking at his ranking officer.

It was what everybody said, what they had said all his life, every time they would see him smile. It had taken him years to understand that it wasn’t his fault if he had never learned to smile “properly” when he was a kid, and by the time he was big enough that was just his way to smile. After too many grimaces in answer to his smiles though, Ron had learned to keep his lips pressed when he did let himself smile, or to use it alternatively to scare people off.

He had not expected Dick to comment on it at all, let alone join in the number of people who had joked about it, but Dick was still looking at him calmly, no amusement in his eyes when Ron threw him a glance.

There was a soft smile on Dick’s lips, similar to the one Ron had seen him give Nixon time and time again, and suddenly realized with certainty that Dick hadn’t been joking. It was strange at first, but slowly Ron found himself smiling a bit in return.

***

Maybe Ron was jealous, even though he kept telling himself that he would have been alright with Dick finally talking with Nixon and sorting out their desire for each other.

The morning Nixon came back to Mourmelon, Ron had made an effort not to glare at the man. There was no reason for it, the man had never given him trouble. That hadn’t stopped Nixon himself from glaring at Ron, he was capable of seeing it even while the Captain proceeded on his way. Maybe it was the reason Ron had been more frightening than the usual to his subordinates.

He went looking for Dick, not that surprised when the man was nowhere to be found. Ron was quite sure that Dick was already at Nixon’s billet in a matter of minutes to the intelligence officer’s arrival. He wasn’t jealous, he told himself, but then again he found a good reason to stay at the CP to work until the Major was back.

“Nixon is back,” Ron nodded at him.

“I know, I was talking to him.” Dick nodded, taking off his cap to drop it on the desk with a sigh.

Ron kept silent, looking at the man as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He considered that Dick didn’t look very happy and for a moment he thought how strange it was that someone like him, who had never cared about gossip, would look for a way to find out more about another’s personal business.

“Is he alright? He didn’t look that happy to be back when I saw him.”

Dick pressed his lips together, staring for a beat at the pile of papers on his desk before slowly nodding, raising his eyes to Ron. “He will be, I think. Jump didn’t go well, though. I also had to tell him he got demoted.”

Ron pressed his lips downward and shook his head slowly. Definitely not a good day for Nixon. “What’s going to happen to him now?”

“Sink gave him to me. He’ll come back to work with battalion.” Dick sipped his coffee, sitting behind his desk, and Ron decided he was not jealous of even Strayer being so aware of the connection between the two men.

***

They couldn’t go on with their card game once Nixon had walked out on them. Ron knew in some part of his mind that he should have probably cared about how much alcohol the other had tossed back, or the way Nixon hadn’t really tried winning, staring into the middle distance, lost to memory even while sitting there with them.

Ron stayed downstairs to smoke a cigarette even after Harry and Carwood had decided Nixon wasn’t coming back to finish their game and had left for their bedrooms, waiting to be sure they wouldn’t be around before climbing the stairs and going straight to Dick’s room much as he had done in the weeks before.

“Are you alright?” Ron asked from the doorframe when Dick opened at his knocking.

“I will be.” Dick nodded, but then he took a step back to let Ron in.

Ron waited for Dick to close the door, looking closely at the alpha in front of him. Dick had dark circles under his eyes, a sign that Ron had almost seen diminish in the days since they had been pulled off of the front line. For a brief moment Ron was tempted to reach out and cup his face.

Instead he put his hands on Dick’s hips, holding the man in front of him. “I could help.”

Dick sighed softly, looking him in the eyes, and did more than Ron had been able to, brushing two fingers over the line of his jaw. He didn’t say anything, moving his hand to Ron’s shoulder before giving it the slightest squeeze.

Ron ignored the little bite in his stomach at knowing that he was the one truly there, no matter how many others would have liked to have Dick this way. He sank to his knees with a muted sigh and started working right away at opening Dick’s belt and pants, impatient to have them out of the way. He could feel Dick’s cock, still trapped under fabric, grow hard with every casual touch. Ron tried pressing his knuckles against the bulge for a moment. Dick moaned softly, rolling his hips, and Ron felt his mouth water at the way the man tugged at his hair.

He lowered Dick’s fly, the sound obscene in the silence, but nothing compared to the loud intake of breath from Dick when Ron wrapped his fingers around the already half-formed knot, squeezing it as he looked up at the other man.

“Ron…”

It was a soft call, no more than a whisper in the tone of a prayer, and for a moment Ron thought he could have gone through hell and high water just to hear somebody say his name like that again.

He parted his lips and took Dick’s erection in his mouth, starting to suck at him right away, and was rewarded by Dick’s grip in his hair intensifying, with the little snap of hips that meant Dick couldn’t really control himself under Ron’s ministrations.

Ron didn’t stop until Dick tensed in front of him and spilled in his mouth, his hold on Ron’s hair almost painful. Ron kept sucking gently at his cock until it started softening, until Dick took his wrist and pulled him up.

Whatever Dick had meant to do after Ron was standing right in front of him, it got lost when they actually found each other so close their chests were almost touching, staring into each other’s eyes. Dick faltered, simply looking at him, his face still flushed in pleasure, and for the briefest moment his gaze fell over Ron’s lips.

Ron had to force himself to stand his ground despite the staggering intensity of the sudden desire to grab the man and kiss the soul out of him. At least until Dick started pulling him by the wrist towards the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all the lovelies who left a comment or kudos, you all made my day <3

As soon as Ron was sitting on the edge of the mattress Dick made a quick job of opening and pulling his pants down, the same way they had done many times before, when they could barely spare the time to just grab at each other in a hurry. Ron shuffled out of his jacket, his eyes fixed on the man kneeling between his legs, already palming at Ron’s aching cock.

Ron could barely breathe as he cupped Dick’s face, looking into his eyes as he dragged his thumb over Dick’s bottom lip. A shiver ran through him when Dick parted his lips right away under the light pressure, holding his gaze even while Ron led him closer to his cock, while Ron encouraged him to wrap his lips around it for the first time.

Dick came willingly and let Ron lead him with one hand cupping his cheek and the other curved behind his head, fingers gently caressing his nape, leading Dick to take more of his cock in his mouth. It was more than Ron had ever let himself wish for and soon he started trying to push Dick into giving him more, to see if the other alpha would pull away. He only ended up growing impossibly harder when Dick let himself be pushed until the head of Ron’s cock hit the back of his throat, making him choke. Instead of pulling away, Dick looked at him from under his lashes, digging his fingers into Ron’s thighs as if he wanted to pull Ron even closer, and that was enough for Ron to know the man liked it as much as he did.

Ron felt lightheaded at the new discovery and he found himself nodding his head, whispered reassurances escaping his lips without him even noticing.

Dick would suck him hard whenever Ron had him focus on the head of his cock, and soon Ron found out that the man was surprisingly messy, a sight that had Ron getting closer to the edge at an alarming speed. He would have never expected such a pristine and composed man able to end up with his lips and chin shining with spit despite how tight he wrapped said lips around Ron’s cock. He was unable to hold back a low groan at seeing Dick’s eyelashes flutter in unabashed pleasure when he finally spilled in his mouth, and then Ron simply knew he needed to have Dick that way again in the times to come.

***

“You smile differently when you’re actually enjoying yourself than you do when you think somebody is looking or expecting it.”

Already redressed, for once they felt no hurry to go their separate ways, laid back across the bed with their boots well planted on the floor. In case somebody knocked at the door it would have been easy to just sit up, but for the moment they found a little moment of calm. Ron lay with his head on Dick's shoulder and smocked lazily, almost dozing off with the way Dick gently ran his fingers through his hair. It was the most comfortable he had been in months and it took him a moment to register the other's words.

Ron turned to look at Dick, catching him staring at the ceiling above them. After a few seconds the other alpha turned his gaze on him, a smile tugging at his lips.

"I like the way you smile when you really like something, or when you're relaxed."

Ron kept silent for a beat, but then he shook his head and brought his gaze up to the ceiling himself. "Nobody likes my smile." It was a fact, not something he blamed people for.

"They're scared of you, Ron, that's why they're thrown off when you show your teeth." Dick snorted softly, turning to press his lips over Ron's cheekbone. "I kinda like that smile too though," he whispered.

Ron didn't dare turn, trying to shift through what Dick might have meant, and he closed his eyes as he pushed the kiss aside to be considered later. "Why?"

"Because it's you." Dick shrugged softly.

Ron could have complained about the movement, but instead he kept silent and his head right where it was, taking another drag from the cigarette. When the companionable silence they had enjoyed before started stretching between them once more, Ron moved one booted foot, linking it with Dick's closest one, and he smiled around the cigarette at the soft pressure of Dick's calf against his own, Dick's own way to tell him it was alright.

***

They had been in Mourmelon for more than a month and everybody was wondering when and where they would have been pulled next when Dick got notice that they were soon to prepare to move into occupied Germany. It had been a strange time, days that should have been easier on him, but Dick had found himself filling them with so many things to do that every time the thought of the fact he hadn’t written home in months hit him once more he would push it away with the easy excuse of something more pressing to do. Truth was that he had no idea what to write, letters started and never completed starting to pile up, discarded when he noticed he could only manage to write about war and duties. Somehow he knew that the friendships he had forged there were the only things still keeping him whole, even if they were also somehow a source of worry themselves.

Dick couldn't help but notice how Lewis had been drinking more heavily than usual since Haguenau, or maybe just since the disastrous jump for Operation Varsity. Not that Lewis had ever been sober around him, aside from the worst days of Bastogne. Dick knew Lewis was the best intelligence officer there was, he only hoped the man could manage to quit with the drinking at some point before it killed him.

There was also his tentative relationship with Ron. He wasn't really sure if it was just a way to blow off steam or something more, but he had slowly gotten to know the man better since Foy and had to admit that Ron was one of the few able to distract him from his own thoughts.

***

Dick waited until after dinner to approach Lewis in the sitting room, handing him two records he had found in the previous weeks. He didn’t even try holding back a smile at seeing the spark of interest in his friend’s gaze as Lewis took them.

“Well, I’ll be- not approved Kraut music?”

Dick sat on the armrest of his chair, relaxed. “Apparently not everyone wanted to get rid of it when they told them to. I saw you got a gramophone in your room.” He smiled down at him, sincerely glad to see Lewis that taken by something other than his whiskey.

“I do.” Lewis smiled, throwing him a glance. “I’ll find something to give you back,” he promised pressing his shoulder against Dick’s arm.

“Just not something to drink, please.” Dick chuckled.

“Yeah, what about some ice cream?” Lewis laughed, the somberness in his gaze abating for a moment.

“If only.” Dick shook his head with a smile, letting his gaze roam the rest of the room until he caught Ron’s eye, the man watching them as he smoked a cigarette. Dick would be lying if he said he didn’t like the sight of it, Ron managing to be quite attractive as he smoked, his intense gaze fixed on him.

***

Ron knew he shouldn’t be staring at the two in the chair, should care more for the game in front of him, but he could barely focus on his cards, his gaze moving time and time again over the alpha, almost sitting on Nixon’s lap and leaning in close, laughing and smiling, looking happy.

Ron liked to see Dick happy, thought it suited him, but he couldn’t deny he would have preferred to know he too could make Dick laugh that way.

He almost held his breath when he met Dick’s gaze, neither of them looking away for long seconds, and suddenly Ron noticed something changing in the other alpha’s gaze. At least until Dick rose to his feet, dropping one hand over Lewis’ shoulder.

“I’m turning in early. You get some sleep too, alright?”

“Yes, sure.” Lewis nodded, throwing money on the table.

Ron bid the man goodnight with the others and then forced himself not to follow the alpha with his eyes, focusing on his cards even though he could feel his body start to react already at the mere thought of joining Dick in his room.

***

Ron went up to his room following the others, listening with just half an ear to the slow chatter of Harry and Carwood. There was music in the hallway, coming out of Lewis’ room, and he nodded his goodnight to the other men before slipping inside his own room.

Even with the door closed behind him, Ron still heard the music playing, filling the air like dust, impossible to stop or contain. No matter how many times he told himself he wasn’t jealous of the relationship between Dick and Nixon, how many times he told himself he knew perfectly well that Dick had sex with him because he wasn’t ready to try with the beta he was in love with, he still felt a cold jealousy wrap around him when Nixon had dropped out of their game soon after Dick had gone to his room, following the man upstairs instead of going out to find a drink as per usual. Nobody at the table had said anything, all focusing a bit too much on their cards, at least until the music has started, loud enough to cover any sound of possible sex, and Harry had muttered an incredulous, “Christ.” Ron had told himself it wasn’t bad, that he had never expected what he had started with Dick to last much longer anyway, but the concerned glance Carwood had thrown his way made Ron realize that maybe he had not been as secretive as he thought.

He shuffled out of his jacket and took off his sidearm, putting it on his nightstand before starting to unlace his boots. He had thought that maybe Dick would be interested in seeing him later, but by the time he had managed to take off both boots he found himself keeping an ear out for hints of a creaking bed under the music. He scowled when somebody knocked at the door and went to open it, a look on his face that would have sent any private running for their lives.

As soon as he opened the door the scowl fell from his face and Ron stood there surprised, looking at Dick leaning against his door frame with an eyebrow hiked high and a soft smile on his lips.

“Mind if I come in?”

***

“We’ll move tomorrow, if the rumors I’ve heard are to be trusted." Dick shrugged with a sigh, letting his eyes roam from Ron to the rest of the room, an amused smile tugging at his lips when he spotted Ron's collection of silver, ready to be sent back home. "And you know how it is," he added, glancing back to the other alpha.

Ron knew exactly what he meant. If the rumors were true, it meant that they couldn't yet start officially organizing their movements, even if, with all probability, Dick had it planned and ready. For now they could only take the chance to conclude any business they still had going on in Mourmelon, like sending their spoils home to their families first thing in the morning before any other mail order might have come in. They could also take the chance to enjoy a real bed for as long as it lasted, God knew when they would find another one, war being unpredictable as it was.

The glint in Dick's eyes that Ron had seen not an hour before in the sitting room was back, only now he could see the hopefulness in his gaze, too. That was what made him take a step closer to the major as he nodded, reaching out to place his hands on the other alpha's hips. Dick was looking at him, his eyes dropping briefly over Ron's lips before moving once again to meet his gaze, and Ron felt a shiver run through him.

"We should grab the chance while we can," Ron murmured, tightening his grip around Dick's sides.

Dick nodded his head slowly, moving closer instead of starting to undress, and he stopped only when they were so close they were breathing the same air. It was different from anything they had ever done up until that moment. No rush, no implicit decision to get it over with fast, before anyone came knocking. It was also the first time they had been so close face to face. Dick tilted his head and leaned closer, delicately brushing his lips over the corner of Ron's mouth.

Ron closed his eyes as a rush of breath left him, Dick's skin hot against his cheek, the light stubble of a long day barely scratching him as Ron tilted his head enough to be able to brush their cheeks together. Every doubt he had about why Dick had come to him instead of spending the night with the other man flew out of the window with the knowledge that Dick wouldn't have done such a thing if it wasn't what he really wanted.

They stood still in the center of the room, leaning against each other and slowly nuzzling at each other, inhaling deeply and leaving their scents on the other's skin like they had never dared to do before.

It was different from anything they had done up to that moment, slow and charged with something that Ron couldn't yet name but knew he yearned for.

They started to undress each other without really stepping back or leaving much space between them, efficiently unbuttoning and unfastening their uniforms, uncovering naked skin as they went.

Ron had never had the chance to properly look at Dick before, the showers not a good choice of a place for it, their other encounters too quick and too clothed to allow it. He stopped for a moment when Dick stood in front of him in all his naked glory. He took a deep breath before placing his hands on Dick’s bony hips, aware that they were probably very different compared to before they had been sent to the Ardenne. Slowly he moved his hands up the other's body, fingers sprawled in order to be able to touch as much of Dick as he could for as long as he was allowed to.

Dick sighed, growing hard under Ron’s touch, even if it was the most chaste he had ever been. The intensity of those dark eyes on him had him longing for more and soon Dick took Ron's face between his hands, making him tilt his head up to press their lips together.

Ron stopped for a moment, surprised, but it was only a chaste kiss and then Dick was looking him in the eyes, almost imploring, and Ron had to duck his head for a moment, his eyes soon finding the constellations of freckles that marred the other's skin. Not even stopping to think about it he leaned closer and pressed his lips over them, over and over again, brushing his lips over the expanse of Dick's chest.

Dick sighed, biting down a moan, and moved one hand to the back of Ron's head, raking his fingers in his hair and holding him close. "Bed?" he breathed, eager to have more. He barely waited for the other to nod his head before grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards the bed in the corner, hoping the metal frame wouldn't rattle too much under their movements.

They stumbled into bed together, all grace lost in their lust, and soon Ron found himself straddling the other man, his eyes fastened on the flushed face of the alpha he now knew he desired more than he would have preferred to admit.

Before he could stop and think about it too much, Ron leaned down to kiss the man and was relieved to see Dick smile up at him a moment before Ron pressed their mouths together. He closed his eyes when Dick raked his fingers through his hair, pulling him closer still until Ron managed to lie down completely on top of him.

Dick parted his lips, a moan escaping him at the sudden contact of so much naked skin, the way Ron's erection pressed against his own, and Ron took the chance to push his tongue past the other's lips.

***

Dick wasn't even sure who was kissing who, who was doing most of it, lost in the pleasure of it and the way they cling to each other in their passion. He wrapped one arm around the man's shoulders, not stopping caressing his hair, and groaned when Ron started slowly moving on top of him, making their erections brush together, the heat coming off their bodies almost unbearable. Not that Dick wanted to stop him anyway, hoping instead to have more and pushing up his hips to show the man how much. He managed to spare only the briefest thought of gratefulness to his friend who had chosen to play his new disks that night, covering any noise him and Ron could have made.

Dick wanted to memorize every detail of that evening, store them to replay them in his mind every time he needed to remind himself that there was still something good amidst the hell they had been dropped into.

***

Ron could remember an old quote saying that love is a sentiment better taken on one’s knees, but the truth was that the first time he actually recognized he was falling in love it was as he was straddling the other alpha.

He felt something rattle in his chest as their eyes met and they held each other’s gaze, Ron slowly lowering himself onto his erection, Dick with his hands wrapped around his hips.

Ron started moving up and down, the frenzy that had characterized many of their encounters forgotten, enjoying the chance to admire the man under him and see the way his muscles tensed under Ron’s hands every time Dick pushed his hips up towards him.

Ron could barely take his eyes off him and in return Dick kept looking back at him, his hands gripping tight, leading Ron in his movements and probably leaving bruises. There was a hunger in Dick’s eyes, a glint that showed every time the man managed to drive a groan out of him, that had Ron feeling more appreciated and desired that he had ever been.

Dick licked his lips when Ron started moving faster with the approach of his orgasm, terribly hard at looking such a handsome man take him in such an abandoned way. A soft whine escaped him when Ron wrapped one hand around his own cock, Dick’s eyes falling over it right away. 

Ron stilled, his breath catching in his throat at knowing that if he did - if he came like that, for once facing Dick - he would have forever etched in his mind the image of his cum splattered all over the other’s man torso. For a moment the mental image of it was almost too much to bear and he had to grip himself harder to stall his oncoming orgasm. He suddenly had to ask, had the physical need to hear Dick say aloud he could do it.

“Can I?” he asked breathless.

Dick sighed, caressing the hips of the man on top of him, looking at Ron as if he was the most handsome man he had ever seen. He nodded his head, licking his lips before speaking.  
“Do it, Ron,” he breathed out, his fingers digging in the flesh of the other alpha as Dick led him to keep moving.

Ron only needed a couple tugs at his cock before he started coming all over his lover’s chest. A single white drop hit Dick’s dog tags and that sight was enough to shatter what control Ron had left on himself. He groaned, jerking off in a frenzy and riding the most powerful orgasm he had ever achieved.

Lightheaded, Ron found himself falling forward, but Dick was there to catch him. He wrapped his arms around Ron’s sweaty back, giving him a sense of safety that he had seldom felt since the days they had started their training back in Toccoa.

Ron closed his eyes and pressed a cheek over Dick’s shoulder as he deeply inhaled the scent of the alpha under him, thinking he would have to get back to moving soon. He was about to do just that when Dick started slowly tracing his back with two fingertips like he had completely forgotten about the need to get off himself. It was the first time they truly had the chance to lie naked together, or even just take a good look at each other, and Dick took the chance to explore Ron’s body with slow caresses, giving him a feeling of what there could have been between them if only they weren’t cornered in a place and time that gave them so little peace. Ron closed his eyes with a sigh, his mind going blank as his body relaxed, his focus following only the slow path Dick traced from the small of his back up to the nape of his neck. Ron swallowed thickly when Dick raked his fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp, hand pressing over Ron’s head just enough to let the man know that he was allowed to stay there.

In the arms of his ranking officer, the one Ron truly trusted to give fair orders and care for his and their men’s lives, Ron found something he had never experienced before, his heart drumming a staccato tempo that pushed him into holding as tight as he could to Dick.

He had never had a lover treat him this way, so gentle, so loving. Sex for him had always been a quick affair: hidden in shadows, back rooms, not in a bed, held by strong arms, fingers simply caressing him like he was something precious and not a man that had to be feared on sight or even just at the sound of his name.

When he lifted his head to look Dick in his eyes, he found Dick looking at him already, an intense gaze in his eyes that made Ron think Dick must be able to read everything going on in his mind.

Dick smiled at him after a moment, brushing his lips against Ron’s. That was all it took for them to go back to kissing, slowly but deep, not stopping even when Dick rolled them over and brought Ron under himself.

There was passion and strength in the man - Ron knew, had seen it in action out in the battlefield before seeing it in a more personal relationship - and if he had to pinpoint the moment he had started noticing Dick, that strength had been one of the first things he had noticed about the man. But there was also so much tenderness that Ron had difficulty in trying to slow down his heart, not even trying to let go of the man. Instead, he wrapped his legs around Dick’s hips, trying to keep him close, moaning when Dick started rocking his hips once more without breaking the kiss.

Dick barely moved, not pulling out so much as rolling his hips, giving slow and shallow thrusts, his orgasm approaching fast without any need for him to take Ron harder. The man had a look in his eyes that pulled at something deep inside his chest and Dick wanted to show the man how much he wanted him, no one else than him.

When Dick broke their kiss and their eyes met once more, Ron knew with a sudden clarity that the man had the power to shatter him if he so wished. Nobody had ever truly looked at him, not with the intensity Dick had in his eyes, and Ron found himself unable to look away.

Dick smiled down at him, moving one hand to brush his thumb over Ron’s cheek as Ron felt his knot start to settle.

“You want it?”

Ron nodded his head, almost breathless, and took Dick’s face in his hands to press another kiss on his lips, swallowing the moan that escaped him when Dick knotted him only a moment before tensing and starting to spill in him.

They stayed still, locked together, and went back to looking at each other while Dick tried to keep his weight off Ron by placing his elbows on the mattress. They were breathing hard, still close enough to share kisses, and Ron didn’t dare let go of Dick’s shoulders - even if he was ready to snatch his hands back at the first sign of Dick’s muscles tensing when the man chose to move away. But Dick stayed where he was even when he started growing soft inside of him.

Then Dick licked his lips, steadying himself to speak. “I never thought of somebody else, Ron,” he whispered slowly, looking straight at him with the need to see that Ron understood what he was talking about.

Ron understood right away what he was referring to, the memory of his offer for Dick to fantasize about who he preferred to fuck instead of him still vivid in his mind. He nodded slowly and held the man tighter, hoping dearly Dick would never take those words back.

“Me either.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for following this story and the nice comments, I know I'm super late with updating, but eh, life.

The first time Ron saw Richard Winters and Lewis Nixon it was the very first day for the officers at Camp Toccoa, weeks before the enlisted men were to arrive. There weren’t any barracks yet, the camp almost entirely comprised of tents and half finished buildings.

All of them, except the high brass and the commanders of the companies, were housed together in a huge tent that smelled musty and mold on the far side of Camp, as to not disturb the construction going on.

Ron had been there for a total of half an hour, still sorting through his belongings, when he heard somebody quietly laughing just outside the tent. Winters and Nixon stepped in with smiles on their faces, walking so close to one another that Ron’s first thought was they must have been friends for the longest time, and he felt a sudden spike of envy. It was irrational, but hated them a bit at first, hated seeing people that close ending up in the same camp. After making it through high school without making a single good friend, he didn’t think he would have many chances of finding someone that would voluntarily stand that close to him as they prepared to go to war and probably die.

Then Nixon went around the tent, shaking hands, greeting people, and Ron had sniffed the beta, wondered for the first time if maybe the man and the red haired slim guy quietly taking books out of his footlocker weren’t more than friends.

His envy started changing to respect on the first day of training for the officers and non-coms in Camp, the day most of them struggled with the running, with correctly completing the exercises they were supposed not only to do but to teach to the enlisted men once they arrived. They all struggled, all their past training often not enough in the face of such a rigorous demand. All but Winters. The man was in peak physical condition, running longer than them all, chin up, not looking like a dying man as some of them did, with enough strength to go through calisthenics after completing a three mile up and three mile down run on the nearby mountain. Winters landed squarely on top of the class while doing so, excelling even over his own company commander.

They all saw the look of pure hatred Sobel threw him then, and Ron could feel in the air that it wouldn’t have been easy for Winters with a commander envying him.

They went through theory in the afternoon and back to physical training in the morning, tackling on a self-defense lesson that had them trying to take each other down in turns. Ron did great against all opponents, only for his lucky spell to go dry when he faced off Winters.

Ron ended up on his back on the ground in an embarrassingly short time, struggling helplessly under Dick’s iron grip. The more he struggled, refusing to yield, looking for a weak spot to use as leverage, the more Dick managed to secure his hold on top of him until, with a wave of dread, Ron felt his body start to react to the contact, to the pressure of another man on top of him. He wasn’t used to having somebody manage to bodily pin him down and he was taken by surprise by how much he actually enjoyed it, even if he was also suddenly terrified by the consequences of Dick feeling Ron’s cock harden up between them. And he noticed, Ron knew because, not soon after it started happening, Dick lifted his head and met his eyes. But there was no disgust, no reproach or amusement in his eyes.

Dick was calm, assessing, and he didn’t laugh, he didn’t jump away in disgust or call their superior officers. He held Ron tighter even while seemingly focused more than anything else on the pinched look on Ron’s face as the man under him struggled to get free.

Ron only managed to get more and more flustered by the ineffectiveness of his attempts and the rubbing of their bodies, by the delicious pressure on his cock that Ron wanted to ignore.

Ron expected the man on top of him to use his alpha voice to make him stop, or to start laughing at any second, but it suddenly struck him that Dick was actually letting Ron have his chance to prove himself even as he kept checking to see if he needed to stop.

At least until the buildup became too much and Ron stopped his struggle abruptly, eyes widening in pure fear as it dawned on him that he was mere seconds away from coming right there in the middle of the exercise field.

But Dick was there, staring at him, and he had a look on his face that said he knew.  
He could have jumped away, could have smiled at seeing the state Ron was in. But instead he remained as still as Ron was, waiting.

“Yield.”

The whisper did not make any sense to Ron for the briefest moment, until he noticed that they were too still, just about to be noticed by their superiors unless Ron yielded and gave Dick a good reason to lift himself up from him.

As soon as Ron tapped on the ground Dick rose from him as calmly as he had done with all his previous opponents, not drawing any attention to them, only to then reach out one hand and offer Ron his help in getting up.

Ron knew Dick never said anything to a soul, the fact clear not only in the way nobody looked differently at him from that day on, but in the fact that not even Nixon - Winters’ shadow - ever looked at him in a knowing way. It was more than Ron had come to expect from anyone he had ever met, more than he expected from somebody in such a competitive field.

What happened that day during training gave Ron a glimpse of Dick’s character, and was enough for him to start thinking highly of the man even before Dick’s accomplishments separated him from the rest of the group.

Even though he believed in the “a man is the friendships he has” saying, Ron couldn’t yet frame who Nixon was. Sure, the man was clearly in a close relationship with Dick, none was sure of what nature, and some thought they were actually partners, yet, Ron saw Nixon more than once in the company of one girl or another during the few weekends that Sobel let the Easy men free to enjoy their passes together with the rest of the troops in town.

If at first Ron raised an eyebrow at Nixon openly making out with women during their passes while Dick notoriously preferred to stay back at Camp, he soon started to consider that maybe the two could have been nothing more than friends. If for nothing else because, whatever people could say of someone as flamboyant as Nixon, Ron couldn’t envision Dick being in a relationship with somebody who cheated on him.

Ron didn’t care much for gossip or other people’s personal affairs, but somehow he never managed to shake off a vague sense of annoyance at seeing the two men always attached at the hip. Nixon would always hang off every word out of Dick’s mouth even when in town, only for the man to be the biggest Don Juan every time the alpha stayed back in Camp for the weekend. Ron chalked his annoyance up to feeling somehow indebted to Dick for covering for him during that day in training, but he also decided that it was none of his business and simply went on with his life, rarely crossing paths with them until they jumped in Normandy.

He was on another Company and they never talked much to each other anyway, not until they ended up in Belgium and Dick - having moved up in the ranks - appointed Ron commander of Easy Company on the spot, a tentative friendship blossoming between Ron and the other officers. It was extremely different from the polite but cold way Ron had always found himself treated by Dog's fellow officers, and he found he quite liked the feeling of having people around he could maybe come to call friends.

Until they ended up in bed together and in the privacy of his own mind Ron started calling Dick his lover.

***

Ron had barely come to terms with Dick saying he had never fantasized about fucking Lewis Nixon instead of him when he was actually taking Ron to his bed, Ron’s mind still not fully convinced that the man wasn't in love with the beta deep inside.

The next thing he knew they were moving once more, entering Germany, and - as always - rumors traveled fast between the men. They had not even gotten out of their jeeps and Ron had already been informed that Lewis' wife had written him that she wanted a divorce. Apparently half of his company - and officers - had heard the man shout about it.

Ron wasn't completely sure what hit him the most, the fact that Lewis had been apparently married all along, or the fact that he was now technically free to pursue whoever he might have preferred. And looking at the jeep where Lewis sat behind Dick, Ron had no doubt who Lewis might have wanted to keep in his life.

***

The Easy boys had spread out in the woods and Ron had stayed behind in town, namely to loot the place before anyone could beat him to it, even though he went looking for Dick sooner than later.

He needed to settle the matter fast, even if it tasted bad in his mouth and sat worse in his stomach.

It wasn't difficult to ask Dick to talk privately, it was more tricky to appear relaxed and unperturbed in front of him while delivering the words he had to say.

"I heard about Nixon's divorce."

Dick snorted quietly, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, half of the regiment heard it."

Ron barely nodded, holding the helmet under his arm a bit more tightly.  
"Dick, I know this only started because you couldn't have Nixon," he started quietly, looking Dick straight in his eyes, going on despite the confused look in his lover's eyes. "But now he's free and- I don't think it will take him long to see what kind of man is standing right beside him. So if you want to pursue him I want you to know that I think that's fair." He nodded, swallowing and holding the rim of his helmet with a white-knuckle grip. "You deserve your chance at happiness, even more in this hell. I'm just asking you to talk about it this one time and settle the matter, then I won't bother you about it anymore. We could still pretend nothing happened, if you prefer. Remain friends, maybe?"

Of all the answers he had expected, Dick gently cupping his face with one hand, his brows pulled down in a frown, was not in the list.

"All this time, you thought you were a replacement?" Dick wondered softly, brushing one thumb over his cheekbone. "I wasn't pining over Lew, Ron. He is my best friend. Of course I love him, but that's a far cry from pining." He stopped, tilting his head slightly, a blush rising on his cheeks. "I can admit to considering a couple times that if I ever was to find someone for myself I hoped it would be someone that could understand me like he does- after all he's the closest to me-" he stopped, looking back at Ron when the man covered his hand with his own.

"I see the way you always look at him though," Ron murmured stepping closer with a frown of his own. Dick was getting close to saying what Ron had not even dared hope, but he didn't want to yield so soon, not wanting to be fooled only for things to turn for the worse at a later time. "I saw how you still kept thinking of him while he was gone."

"He’s my best friend. Of course I was worried with him away for a jump, far from all of us and at this point in the war." Dick shrugged helplessly. "And then there’s how he's drinking more and more since then. Of course I'm worried about him. I can't even remember the last time he was completely sober," he sighed. "I’ve seen what alcohol can do to people, Ron." He looked away for a moment, lost in some memory that Ron knew nothing about.

Somehow the thought of Dick suffering for something Ron had no power over gave him an ache that not even thinking the man would jump ship as soon as Lewis was free had given him, though that could have been because he had tried to prepare himself for that moment since before actually trying to seduce Dick.

Dick shook himself off the memory. "You know how I am when they take the decisions about my boys away from me, and then there were the rumors about his demotion too." Dick shook his head with a sigh, remembering how he had hoped the brass would wait until Lewis was back with the regiment to let him know about the demotion, afraid it would compromise his friend's state of mind at the dawn of something as dangerous as jumping off a plane.

"So..." Ron started, leaving it suspended and looking straight into Dick's eyes, hoping the man would get his thoughts back on the initial topic.

"I never thought about him while I was with you, Ron, I already told you." Dick reminded him, his thumb grazing Ron's lips. "I never used you as a second choice."

Ron wanted to believe him, wanted it desperately, and he let his hand wander from Dick's hand to his wrist, wrapping his fingers around it to squeeze and feel the beating of his heart under his touch. He did not even look where he was placing his helmet, too focused on the man in front of him.

"I wanted what you were offering, Ron. And then I wanted the man offering." Dick looked straight into his eyes, the shadow of a smile curving his lips when Ron wrapped his now free hand around Dick’s hip to pull him closer.

"You won't change your mind?"

"I don't think so. Admittedly, things do happen. But I truly don't see myself trying to seduce Lew, if that's what you're still thinking. But you could always check in in a while. Ask me again after the war." He smiled.

Ron smiled back at him then, feeling almost lightheaded with relief and the thought that it was true: they could almost smell the end of the war in the air, and suddenly there was the brief image of the two of them leaving the European theatre together in his mind.

For once in his life, he wanted to let himself dream of truly having somebody for himself, someone who wasn't going to shy away from him.

***

The horrors of the camp behind the woods surrounding the city was enough to make everything he had thought about that morning disappear, putting everything he had lived through up to that moment in a new terrible perspective.

That night Ron couldn’t sleep, couldn’t even lay down, the stench of the camp still making him sick, the sight of all those emaciated bodies impressed behind his eyes. He had barely been able to function since he had entered those gates, stomach churning and bile rising to his mouth every time his mind came back to those memories.

Ron found himself knocking at Dick’s door before he even thought about it, not even trying to mask what he was doing or being covert about it. He stepped inside as soon as Dick told him to enter, but then he stood there, looking at the major sitting behind the desk.

Suddenly Ron had no idea why he was there and let his gaze slide off the other officer, feeling naked in front of him in an upsetting way. He swallowed, looking at the bed in the corner still made up to military inspection standards while he felt Dick’s gaze on him.

Dick rose from his seat, stepping closer to him until he was standing just in front of Ron, looking at the tense lines on his face under the inscrutable mask that Ron had donned through Bastogne and Foy.

“I never thought people could do that to others,” Ron murmured, surprising even himself at being able to talk about it. “I’m far from naive. I did so much myself, but-”

Dick shook his head, a dismayed look on his face. “You’re a soldier, Ron, not a monster. That’s why you couldn’t imagine anything like that. One thing is to kill the enemy, another- another is to-” he sighed, looking away and swallowing down at the memory of what they had seen.

But Ron didn’t need him to remind him of what exactly they had found on the other side of the woods. He held dearly to the other man’s words, noticing only then how shaken up Dick was in turn. He furrowed his brow, the thought that had been nagging at him all evening still there, pressing and making him feel queasy.

“Do you think we would have done what they did? If we were given the order?”

“No.” Dick shook his head right away, horror trickling into his voice at the mere thought of being ordered to commit such atrocities, but then he stopped, almost holding his breath as a thought occurred to him.

Ron noticed the shift in his look and furrowed his brow. “What is it, Dick?”

“I had to order to lock them back inside that place. I know why I had to, but-” He shook his head, not even caring how his voice came out choked.

It was clear it had gnawed at him for hours and Ron instinctively reached out to grab at his arms, anchoring him to the present, away from those dark thoughts.

“It’s nothing like what they did, Dick. You were ordered to do it because if they get out and go their own separate ways the medics won’t manage to get to all of them and they’ll probably die. Brass will find a better place for them to stay, what with all the empty cities we found on our way here. And then they’ll be cared for and fed...” He let his words trail away, slowly rubbing at Dick’s arms.

Dick barely nodded though, and Ron pulled him closer. He didn’t even know if it was the need to know he could still help Dick, that he was still the person others could lean on, or the need for him to have proof somebody could still accept being that close to him, that someone might still want to hold him in return.

Dick sagged against him with a shuddering breath, closing his eyes as Ron enveloped him in his arms and gently caressed the nape of his neck. Ron had not expected to share such a moment with the man when he had left his own room, but suddenly he knew that was what he had needed all along, simply for Dick to hold him as tightly as he was, hands fisted in Ron’s uniform to keep him close.

It was all the comfort he could allow himself to receive in that moment and Ron pressed his forehead against Dick’s shoulder with a sigh, holding the man with no mind for the passing of time, until somebody knocked at the door.

They both took a step back, Dick clearing his throat and straightening his uniform before granting access to whoever it was, and Ron found himself tense slightly at seeing Lewis open the door.

The man had an uncertain look in his eyes that smoothed out when he saw Ron was there too and finally he stepped inside the room with a sigh, closing the door behind his back before sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I see I’m not the only one who can’t sleep,” Lewis murmured, slowly rubbing his thighs with his hands.

Ron relaxed at his words, knowing exactly how he felt. At the end of the day, they were all in the same boat.

With a sigh Dick sat down beside his friend, looking at Lewis frown at his own boots.

“I don’t even have my whiskey anymore.” Lewis sulked.

Under Ron’s gaze Dick put one hand on his friend’s shoulder, squeezing softly, and strangely Ron found he wasn’t even jealous, the more he looked at the two of them the more he understood their friendship. His earlier doubts also seemed infinitely frivolous in the face of their recent experience.

“Any chance I have some left in your footlocker?” Lewis asked with a hopeful gaze towards Dick.

“No, I’m sorry.”

Lewis sighed and lit a cigarette. “I’m not going to sleep tonight. And I’m pretty sure everybody in regiment is awake too.”

Dick nodded his head, throwing a glance at Ron still standing in the middle of the room.  
“I want to check on Liebgott. I think he needs to know-” He stopped, pressing his lips. “It sat wrong with me to give him the order, I can’t imagine how he felt telling the prisoners.”

Ron nodded his head, remembering quite clearly turning his back to Liebgott to leave him some privacy when his shoulders started to shake with sobs.

“I can speak to him myself if you want,” Ron offered.

“Or we could avoid talking and invite him to a poker night or something.”

Strangely Lewis’ offer managed to bring Dick a small smile and Ron was suddenly deeply grateful to the man.

***

“Stay?” Dick whispered after Lewis shuffled back to his room, the alpha still looking so dismayed but just a touch hopefully at Ron.

Ron didn’t even have to think about it. He locked the door and took off his boots before curling with Dick on his bed, trying to fit side by side without crowding each other. There had been nights when Ron only wanted to have as much physical contact as possible, but he wasn’t sure that was one of those nights. Instead he wrapped one hand around Dick’s wrist, his pulse thrumming under his fingers enough reminder that the man was still alive and beside him.

They spent the longest time without even closing their eyes, exhausted mentally and physically but unable to sleep. It was better than being alone, and they took some relief in their proximity.

They moved closer to one another during the night, until with a sigh Dick pressed himself against Ron, closing his eyes when the other alpha wrapped his arms around him.  
“I wish I never came here.”

Ron almost held his breath at that confession, but after the briefest moment he tightened his grip around his lover, not wanting Dick to feel that Ron didn’t understand how much it must have cost him to show such a vulnerability.

Dick hid his face against the crook of Ron’s neck, a sigh filling his chest before he tried to almost disappear in Ron’s arms.

Ron gently caressed his back, pressing one kiss to his temple, and tried to find the right words to let the man know how he treasured the trust Dick had put in him by expressing the kind of private thoughts he never shared with anybody else.

It was something completely different from the sharing of a sexual act and Ron felt it was even more precious for it.

“Me too,” he admitted softly.

Dick heard him and raised his head to look Ron in the eyes. He gently brushed his thumb over Ron’s cheekbone before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

“I’m scared all the time,” Ron whispered so quietly he almost hoped Dick wouldn’t hear him. It was a heart-wrenching feeling to expose himself so much to someone, but there was no one else in his life aside from Dick that could have been able to understand him, no one else at home, no one there ready to listen to such an uncomfortable thought, nobody else Ron could trust.

Dick simply nodded his head, still caressing him, and pressed another kiss to his lips. “I dream about operations, of shooting people or seeing the men shot down, dying.” He closed his eyes briefly, his voice so low Ron had to strain to hear him. “I can’t remember the last time I had a normal dream. Or the last time I knew what to write home. I barely write my folks anymore.”

“I send silver so they won’t ask. I send everything I find because maybe - maybe I’ll feel good about this once it’s done. Maybe I’ll be more than Speirs the killer once I’m back.” He shook his head. “I only did what I had to do.”

“The boys know.” Dick nodded, and Ron fell quiet. “I know.”

Ron nodded slowly, letting his words sink in. Without saying anything more he leaned in to kiss Dick, not breaking apart until he felt confident enough to be able to look him in the eyes once more without losing control over his emotions.

Dick sighed as he put his head back on Ron’s shoulder. And so Ron stayed awake, gently rubbing Dick’s back until he felt the other alpha relax against him in the first hours of morning, falling asleep utterly exhausted.

Ron stayed awake still, simply holding him in his arms, his mind filled with thoughts and his heart filled with the need to keep guard over his lover.

***

Ron wanted to run up the mountains to the Eagle’s Nest as much as the boys in the company did, so it wasn't really a hardship to go tell Dick they were all ready to volunteer for the task if it was alright with him.

He had to make an effort to not let his lips curl in a faint smile as he approached Dick and Lewis sitting on the road in front of a jeep, his gaze fixed on the peaceful look on Dick's face, his features smoothed under the warm sun.

Dick reopened his eyes only when Ron's shadow fell on him, and then it was Dick's turn to smile faintly while Ron relayed the message that Easy Company was ready to go whenever.

"I already recommended you to Sink."

"Terrific." Ron smiled a bit more, not bothering to keep the sarcasm in his voice in check even if he knew Lewis could hear it. For a moment he didn't even take his eyes off his lover. Of course Dick would recommend his company for it, for as much as he took care of the whole regiment, Easy had been where Dick had started as a lieutenant. They were still his boys after all. And there was of course the fact that they were the best out there.

Likewise, he was pretty sure no one would have bothered to look too closely to the way he and Dick talked, not with how close they had gotten since Ron had become the company commander. Lewis didn't even lift an eyebrow at Ron's answer, probably because he was looking at Ron and so he didn't see the glint in Dick's eyes that Ron had since learned to recognize as the hint that Dick really wanted to kiss him in that moment.  
He wished he could just bend down and kiss the man then, but he turned to go talk to the boys only for Dick to call him and explain that he couldn't just do whatever he pleased. At least until they got their orders from the high brass.

***

Ron got to be the first officer entering the Nest, slowly walking those halls that had been filled by people who’d had no problem in being a part of the SS, relished it even. Monsters that had contributed to the horrors they all had witnessed since they had jumped into the ETO.

The men and officers were so elated that most of them forgot their duties once it was clear there were no enemies left, only spoils to be collected and too much alcohol not to take the chance to celebrate their conquest.

Ron wasn't really sure how he found himself growing comfortable with Nixon in time, but at some point they found themselves clearing a building together, one caring only about liquor and the other about silver. Nixon offered him a cigarette while checking various labels of wines and almost distractedly told Ron to just call him “Lewis”, or “Nix”. If Ron had to be honest with himself all the space he had kept between himself and Lewis was probably due to how shamefully envious he had been of the beta's relationship with Dick.

It wasn't until late that evening that he went looking for Dick, ignoring the men drinking themselves stupid with Hitler's wine and champagne, hoping Dick had already finished writing his reports, and knocked at his door.

"It's Ron." He cleared his throat, looking up and down the hallway even though there was no one around and every person he had met on his way there had already been drunk. Ron faced the door only when he heard it open, and then he was greeted by the sight of Dick almost completely naked, just a white towel wrapped around his hips.

Ron found himself unable to restrain himself from looking at Dick from head to toe, the familiar hunger for the other alpha awakening in him once more.

"Is it something urgent?" Dick asked throwing a glance above Ron's shoulder, clearly trying to understand if they were alone or not, and Ron shook his head, smiling at him.

Dick relaxed and took a step back to let him in, shoulders not pulled tight anymore.  
"I was about to take a bath," he admitted as soon as the door was closed once more, a smile tugging at his lips when Ron made a show of locking the door while keeping eye contact with him.

"Don't let me stop you." Ron grinned, starting to take his jacket off.

"Come to talk or just watch me?" Dick chuckled, his cheeks slightly pink as he unfastened the towel he had wrapped around his hips. Even though they had seen each other naked and had done more than just looking at each other, Ron felt something pool down in his belly at such a sight.

Ron followed him through the open doors and to the bathroom, sitting on a chair to admire the man climbing inside the tub already filled with hot water.

"Why not a bit of both?” Ron murmured.

Dick seemed to ignore him for a moment, closing his eyes in pure bliss as he sank down in the hot water. The soft sound that escaped his throat was enough for Ron to drag his chair closer. He had always liked smelling Dick clean, his scent naturally enticing, and he didn't even try to hold himself back. Behind locked doors at least he could do what he pleased, after all.

He reached out and gently ran his fingers through Dick's red hair, bending down to press a kiss to his lips.

Dick sighed softly against Ron's lips, wet fingers tracing the line of his jaw in a gentle caress. When they broke apart they looked at each other for a long moment before Ron started uncuffing and rolling up his sleeves.

Dick was an exceptionally beautiful man, all long limbs and pale skin covered in freckles, muscles well defined. It wasn't long before he noticed Dick was looking at him in return, a curious look on his face.

"What is it, Ron?"

"Can I wash your hair?" Ron asked instead of answering, and by the way Dick's eyebrows shot up it was clear he had managed to surprise him. He smiled, knowing Dick actually liked when he did show his emotions, not getting creeped up by that as the other men tended to do, and Dick sighed softly, almost exasperatedly, but nodded his head.

Ron smirked just a bit, moving his chair until he was right behind Dick, and there he put himself to work.

Ron enjoyed the noises of pleasure that escaped Dick while Ron gently soaped his hair, his fingers lightly scratching at his scalp in a soothing way that had the man become boneless in the tub. It was almost painful for Ron to see how much Dick had come to trust him, and soon he found he physically needed to have more contact with the man. When Dick sank down to rinse the soap and then sat up, pushing back his hair with his fingers, Ron could only look, unable to keep lying to himself about what he felt for the other alpha.

Dick threw him a shy glance, a little hopeful smile on his lips, totally unaware that whatever he wanted to ask, Ron would give to him. He reached out and gently tugged at Ron’s hand until he could press a kiss on the inside of his wrist, lips brushing over the pulse point.

“Join me?”

“Yes,” he whispered, only waiting for Dick to let go of him before he started stripping down under the heated gaze of the other man.

Ron wasn’t ashamed of the hard erection jutting between his legs, a grin tugging at his lips at seeing how Dick’s gaze fell over it for a moment too long before the man lifted his gaze back to his face. He watched as Dick cupped himself with one hand, the sight enough for him to hurry and climb inside the bathtub to join him.

After everything they had gone through the feeling of hot water covering his body felt decadent and Ron let out a groan, closing his eyes briefly, and let Dick pull him down until he was lying on top of him. Ron searched blindly for his lips, parting them as soon as Dick pressed their mouths together, losing himself in their kiss. Ron pushed down his hips to rub their cocks together, both of them moaning at the contact, and let his hands roam over the firm body under him, moving even closer when Dick parted his legs to give him more space, pressing his thighs around Ron’s sides.

Ron moaned softly into the kiss, rubbing himself over the man. “I want you,” he whispered when they broke apart.

“Me too…” Dick murmured looking him in the eyes, running his fingers through Ron’s black hair. He took the soap and started washing Ron’s hair himself, chuckling softly when Ron ducked his head under water to rinse, nuzzling against Dick’s chest and tickling him.

They left the tub when the water started to cool down and crawled under the clean sheets together, Dick pressing closer at the slightest tug from Ron. Dick sighed softly when Ron wrapped his arms around him, and soon they were kissing once more, both too tired to do more than that.

After how few hours of sleep they had had in the previous days, it wasn’t long until Dick fell asleep with his head on Ron’s shoulder, one arm slung over the other man’s chest.

Ron himself felt sleep tug at him, but in the meantime he found himself wondering over how things had changed between the two of them, how he had never expected to find himself simply sleeping with Dick, sharing a clean bed while the sounds of celebration reached them from the floor below.

Everybody was so keen on drinking, barely keeping guard now that they were miles away from the enemy, that for once even the two of them had not been worried about needing to be as secretive as they used to be, trusting a locked door to keep any unwanted attention away from them, daring to simply spend a night sleeping together.

The war was almost over and Ron only wanted to keep what he had found in the meantime.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Sorry the update arrived so late <3

Ron wasn’t usually a heavy drinker, far from it, preferring to be clear minded enough to be ready in case of an emergency, but there were several factors in play on that seventh of May: Lewis had found the finest wine in the restaurant cellar and had graciously decided to share it with his buddies - which now included Ron apparently - and Ron had woken up that morning still in bed with one Richard Winters, only to have an epiphany that led him to accepting Lewis’ offer right away.

Harry brought more alcohol to the terrace, and before he knew it Ron was decidedly drunk, his posture lax as he sat against Lewis’ legs on the lounger. 

The sun was up, they were safe up in the mountains, they had the best wine Ron had ever tasted, and his head was gloriously fuzzy. Nothing seemed to be so terrible anymore, and why worry if he could just sit there and listen to Harry and Lewis laugh and talk about things that were clearly funny because Ron couldn't help but smile?

By the time Dick and Carwood joined them on the terrace, Ron couldn't remember what had worried him so much that morning, his mind now wrapped around how beautiful his lover was when he smiled so happily.

Ron smiled dopily up at Dick as the man talked to them, and he obediently slurred something to echo Lewis' answer, the need to pay attention seeping through the fuzz in his mind. He felt like he was frowning, which didn't seem right as a reaction to Dick when he was so happy, and he caught the train of his thoughts back again only when Dick paused in order to make sure he had their attention.

"German army's surrendered."

"What?"

Ron only blinked, unable to do anything else, and swayed on the spot as the others asked if he was for real. Then Dick was nodding and laughing, looking so happy, and Ron had to reach him, had to have his hands on his lover.

He stumbled to his feet, reaching Dick when his lover let go of a still dumbfounded Harry, and for the briefest moment Ron noticed the widening of Dick's eyes, a second before Ron took his face between his hands and crashed their mouths together. He stumbled against Dick’s chest and heard only vaguely the gasp from Harry and the snort from Lewis. He had to let go of his lover's face to grab at his shoulders and steady himself just as Dick stumbled back a step under his weight, both of them fighting to stay upright. The kiss was finished before Ron knew it, Dick's hands under his elbows helping him step back towards the lounger.

"Are we going back home?"

"I'm afraid not, Ron." Dick shook his head, his voice gentle as he made Ron sit back down.

Ron didn't fight it, sagging once more against Lewis' legs, and he noticed only peripherally the incredulous look on Harry's face as the man chuckled shaking his head at him, both of them missing the glance Dick and Lewis exchanged.

Lewis was getting up behind Ron, pulling Ron to lie down with one hand on his shoulder. But then Ron caught his indecipherable look in the beta's eyes.

"What?"

Lewis huffed softly even if he was still smiling down at him, and shook his head slowly.

"I hope the boys won't try and plant one on me when I relay them the message."

Ron snorted, amused, and he thought he had closed his eyes only for a moment, but when he opened them again he saw Lewis and Dick leave the terrace together, shoulders brushing as they walked, and the sight gave his stomach a strange twist.

Carwood sat down against his legs much as Ron had done previously with Lewis, and Ron became distracted once more, his gaze moving over his friend and his gentle smile.

***

The next morning found Ron alone in his bed, a headache splitting his head and breath that made him think a rat had gone and died in his mouth. He groaned, rolling pitifully out of bed, and he felt ashamed of himself for how hard it was to get himself in order that morning.

If Ron had started to warm up to Lewis, he had to fight off a spike of hate for the man when Lewis sauntered towards the officers' jeep looking fresh as a rose even though rumors were he had drank for most of the night.

He was lost in thought when a memory started resurfacing through the mist in his brain, and suddenly Ron straightened up, throwing a glance at Dick who was checking a map.

"Did I kiss you?" he whispered.

Dick moved his gaze to him, keeping silent but nodding his head after a moment.

Ron didn't know what to say, not sure how he hadn’t already been reprimanded. He tried to gauge from Dick's expression if he was mad at him.

Dick seemed to read it on his face though, because he exhaled slowly. "You were quite drunk, Ron. We all know you did it because of that."

Ron kind of wanted to deny his words just then, to correct Dick's opinion because he would have probably kissed Dick either way, but he nodded with a frown. It was his chance to avoid a reprimand, but it was also a way to delay the moment he and Dick were to talk about their relationship.

***

Ron hoped dearly his sickness would pass with the passing hours, but Austria was sunny and soon Ron was sweating, his body rebelling against him on all fronts. He tried getting to work nonetheless, envying Harry and Lewis' ability to get over their hangovers so easily. He imparted orders, did everything Dick told him to do, and tried not to show how bad he felt. It didn't fool Carwood, though, the man looking intensely at him by the time night fell.

"You look bad."

"Thanks."

"I mean it." Carwood placed one gentle hand on his arm, stilling Ron and taking the chance to look at him more closely. "You should probably see Doc Roe."

"It's the damn hangover." Ron dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand.

The sickness though didn't pass the day after, and by lunchtime Ron found he was getting not only lightheaded whenever he walked too longer, but horny and unable to ignore it. A dread started filling him, and he didn't wait any longer to have Roe called to his office.

"You're starting your rut," Roe informed him calmly, packing away his instruments.

Ron stood still, his shirt unbuttoned, his eyes fixed on the young medic in front of him.

"You have to alert the major, sir," Roe reminded him gently at seeing his unnatural still state.

"Yeah, no," Ron muttered distractedly before shaking off the shock. "Can you give me something to stop it?"

Roe pressed his lips together, not looking very pleased. "Not once it’s started. There are things that can delay most symptoms, but it won't work for long. It could give you a few days, but then it will hit full force." He tilted his head, looking attentively at him. "You should really warn the major, sir. You will- uh, need to take some leave, sir, and the major will certainly understand. It's not like we're on the first line anymore," he tried to reason, hoping Ron would relax.

Ron nodded pensively, waiting only for the Doc to hand him his tablets to swallow before going back to his duties, delaying his talk with Dick for as long as possible while he considered what to tell him.

***

Dick was a good man, Ron knew it, same as he knew that the man would have signed off on a "heat related leave" for any of his subordinates that asked him, especially at that point in their war, when they seemed to no longer have an enemy. Didn't mean that it felt easier for Ron to think of discussing his rut with the other alpha.

They had never really discussed the nature of their relationship: Ron knew Dick didn't fantasize about others while fucking him, knew Dick had said he wasn't pining for Lewis, but still they had never talked about any intention to make things more serious in the future.

Ron didn't want to ruin what they already had by asking the other man to take a leave in such a delicate time to go have sex with him somewhere, even if Ron couldn't even imagine asking anybody else but Dick. He figured he could manage to get over it by himself, locked in his bedroom. Only problem was that to be free to spend a week humping his mattress instead of looking after their men, Ron still had to walk up to Dick and tell him he needed a leave of absence and why.

If Ron truly had to be honest with himself the reason he kept avoiding the man for as long as possible was that he was afraid Dick would look at him with his soft eyes and a worried look on his face, God forbid pitying him, to say that what they had was nice but he wasn't ready for the level of commitment that would rise after spending a rut together. Ron could manage if Dick was to say that there would be too much paperwork involved in Ron officially asking for his Commanding Officer's help in dealing with his rut. It would be enough to hear words like "maybe after the war", but Ron didn't want to think about Dick simply saying that he didn't care to have more than sex with him, that they had just been fooling around.

The thought of Dick trying to let him down gently was almost unbearable. So he avoided Dick and locked himself in his bedroom at night.

***

Ron poured all his focus and energies into managing his job despite the rut pressing against all his senses, and he genuinely didn't notice how long he went without spending a whole free minute alone in the company of Dick, didn't notice the subtle glances the man started throwing his way - a worried frown at the sight of Ron's dark circles, his taut shoulders, his constantly sweaty forehead - but Carwood did.

Carwood had far less problems than their CO with pulling Ron aside to broach the subject with him, but he faltered at seeing Ron drop his shoulders minutely at the faintest touch. Ron exhaled softly and actually leaned into the hand Carwood had put on his arm. It was enough for Carwood to understand the nature of his sickness right away.

“You have to tell Dick you’re entering your rut, Ron.”

Ron pressed his lips and leaned back with an effort. “There’s much to do. He’s busy enough.”

“He’ll take time for you,” Carwood said with all of his confidence, the tone he would usually use to send their guys to bed after days too long on the first line when the boys were still too coiled up to even feel tired anymore.

For one crazy moment Ron wasn’t even sure what Carwood meant by it, if he was referring just to Dick caring about his men and friends or about Dick taking care of him as his lover. He found himself studying Carwood, trying to understand if he had caught on to what was between them or not. 

The smile Carwood gave him reminded Ron suddenly of a night weeks before, when the man had seemed to know exactly how Ron desired to follow Dick upstairs, how frustrated he had grown when music filled their house and he’d had the feeling Lewis and Dick had been locking themselves in a room together - wrong as he had been about it. Maybe, if Ron was to try and connect the dots, Carwood might have been talking about his chances of Dick accepting him.

***

It wasn’t difficult to find Dick once Ron actually wanted to meet him. As soon as they were settled, Austria saw all of them having so much free time that the officers would work a minimum of hours and spend the rest of their days reading, strolling around, or just playing with others. Ron had exhausted all he could do for his men and he knew he had been fooling himself saying that they were all too busy, actually fully aware that the other alpha passed his time either swimming and sunbathing when he wasn’t in his office or reading in his billet.

Ron went to Dick’s office in the end, telling himself it was proper to ask for a leave of absence.

“Are you done avoiding me?” Despite the joking tone in Dick’s voice it was clear at a glance how tense the man was, his smile a tight line.

Once he heard the words suddenly Ron noticed for how many days he had managed just that and he pulled a face, understanding why Dick would be so tense with him, probably expecting Ron to be the one to say “thanks and goodbye” now that the war was almost over.

Ron mentally berated himself then and shook his head, stepping closer to the desk Dick was sitting behind, close enough for the man to look him more clearly in the face.  
“Sorry about that. I’m starting my rut, Dick.”

Dick’s eyes widened at that, understanding dawning on him, and without a word he stood up, circling the desk to get closer to him, the tightness completely gone in the face of Ron struggling. But then he stopped just a few steps away, hesitating a moment before placing his hands on his own hips.

Ron felt a pang in his chest at how clearly Dick wasn’t sure if his touch would be welcomed anymore, and he stepped closer until Dick relaxed once more and finally reached out to cup his face.

“How do you feel?”

"Like shit." He sighed, finding no reason to lie about it. "Like I'm sweating all over the place and I want to strip naked right about now. Also so horny I could-" He stopped, clearing his throat, and looked elsewhere. "And probably too emotionally open. Which is not that easy for me. If you didn't noticed."

Dick snorted softly, brushing his thumb over Ron's cheek. "What do you want to do now?"

"Lie down and hump the bed," Ron said with a flat tone. "But I have to request a heat-leave for that, I can't just go AWOL on the boys. Lip can take care of them while I'm gone I guess, you know he's more than capable. Would have been good in my place for months already." He took a breath to steady himself as a wave of dizziness hit him, but that only had him inhaling Dick's scent. Before he knew it Ron had his hands on the other alpha's hips, pulling him closer until they were flush against each other. He caught himself a moment later and he loosened his grip on Dick, taking a step back, ready to say sorry.

Dick stopped him by moving his hand to the back of Ron's head, pulling him closer once more to brush their lips together, and Ron renewed his grip on him.

"I wasn't sure how you would take it," he admitted, feeling his stomach in knots at the thought of Dick knowing what he had been thinking all along all those days.

"Oh, Ron..." Dick breathed, caressing his face and pressing their foreheads together. "I could ask for some leave too, if you want my company, that is."

Ron closed his eyes, a deep sigh heaving his chest. He could feel his whole body aflame with desire, with love for the man in his arms.

"You sure? Everybody would know if you file the reason of your leave as helping a fellow officer," he murmured.

Dick leaned back enough to look him in the eyes, his thumb brushing the line of Ron's jaw. "I wouldn't mind that. Would you?"

"No," Ron breathed holding him tighter, smiling against the next kiss Dick pressed on his lips. "Everybody will know," he repeated, not so much as a warning but to reiterate the fact, almost hoping for it.

"I know." Dick simply smiled.

***

Even if the army knew that Dick would be taking his leave to keep Ron company during his rut, on paper it was just the usual case of a soldier helping a fellow officer during a trying time. They barely exchanged a glance over the forms, wordlessly agreeing to forego discussion about filing for a change in a personal relationship: Ron had already trudged for too long through the first days of rut, using tablets to delay its effects, and it felt unnecessary to inform the brass that wouldn't know what to do with them but probably send Ron to some other regiment to avoid favoritism, which had never been a problem between them. Even more with the upcoming end of the war, it felt pointless to follow that rule to the letter just when they were probably about to go back home, anyway.

A talk between them on the subject was another matter altogether, but they decided to wait for it until Ron was feeling better at least.

Ron swallowed down the need to growl at whoever spoke to his lover as the effect of the tablet he had taken that morning started dwindling with the passing hours. He forced himself to just roll his eyes at a snickering Lewis and a quietly disbelieving Harry, feigning utter ignorance in response to the knowing smile on Carwood's lips.

Ron held his lover's hand as they walked, glaring at anyone that crossed their paths, his instincts screaming to protect his man. He didn't spare a thought for where Dick was leading him, at least until Dick closed the door behind them and his long fingers found Ron's tie.

"Let's get rid of this."

Ron lifted his eyes on Dick then, his mind suddenly clearer, and he started undressing himself in a frenzy. He pushed himself against Dick to kiss his lips, eager to have him even while he kept working on his own uniform, while Dick divested of his own. He sighed in relief when the fresh air hit his overheated skin, and for a moment he stopped, eyes closed as he enjoyed the delightful sensation.

"You waited far too long." Dick sighed, brushing his lips over the line of Ron's jaw.

Ron gasped softly when Dick opened his trousers to push his hand under the waistband of his underwear, gently wrapping his fingers around his erection. Ron moaned, grappling at his lover's shoulders as he pushed his hips against the blissful touch. He fumbled trying to undress Dick, craving the feeling of his skin against his own.

A groan escaped him when Dick kneaded his knot and he leaned closer to press an open mouthed kiss on Dick's lips. Even though he had spent nights pleasuring himself that seemed to him the first true moment he had had the slightest relief since his rut had started.

"I want to take care of you."

Dick nodded his head, pressing his face against Ron's cheek, a low rumbling growing from his chest when Ron started nuzzling him, his hot breath coming off in pants already as Dick kept stroking him.

"You want me to lie down for you?" Dick murmured, using his free hand to run his fingers through his lover's hair.

Ron shook his head minutely, eyes still closed. "I won't ask you to act like an omega for me, Dick. I want you to be yourself."

Dick smiled softly, brushing a thumb over the shell of Ron's ear. "Well, I want to take care of you."

"I know you do," Ron moaned, making an effort to lean back and look at him. "We're alphas, it's in our nature to take care of others. And I want that."

Dick grinned softly, pulling his hand out of his lover's underwear. "Good."

***

Ron pressed Dick on the mattress, leaning over him to inhale his scent, his eyes fluttering close as the unique scent of his lover settled a need that he had tried to ignore in the last days. He dropped kissed on every inch of naked skin he could reach while he crouched between his lover's thighs. Ron took care to remove Dick's boots and let them fall on the floor before peeling off his trousers, doing the same for his own uniform without ever taking his eyes off his lover.

Dick watched him in silence, a little smirk on his lips at seeing his eagerness. He cupped himself, gently rubbing the heel of his palm to his erection.

"You smell good..." Dick murmured.

Ron rumbled softly at that sight, kicking away his boots, waiting only to be naked himself to move back between Dick's legs. Despite how much he desired to be the one to touch Dick's erection and be the one pleasuring him, Ron limited himself to pressing his nose against one of Dick's pale legs, brushing his lips over curly red hair while he let his hands roam from his lover's ankles to the back of his thighs. He grabbed at them to make Dick spread them more and he moved his focus from kissing and biting at one inner thigh to licking and kissing his lover's testicles.

Now that they had free access to showers Dick was constantly clean and Ron let himself inhale his scent where it was the strongest, his lust-filled mind swaying at the knowledge that soon that scent would mix with Ron's own and that of sex.

Dick moaned softly at the touch of his lips to such a tender part of him, and moved his hand away to leave more space for his lover. "Ron..." Dick called almost imploringly.

Ron threw him a glance as he moved to brush his lips over the velvet skin of Dick's erection, tracing the veins with the tip of his tongue, circling the head and pressing his tongue against the slit. He smirked when Dick jerked his hips up, already crazy with desire from Ron's teasing. He looked at the other alpha in the eyes while he parted his lips to take the erection in his mouth, moving his hands from Dick's thighs to his asscheeks as soon as Dick buckled his hips once more in search for more.

He could see how Dick fought the urge to reach out and grab at his head, probably so eager because of how long they had spent apart, and Ron appreciated the way the man grasped at the sheets to stay put, how he let Ron have his fun and take things in his own time.

For not the first time Ron considered how lucky he was to have found a lover in Dick Winters, the best alpha he had ever met.

Ron started sucking at his lover as he kneaded his asscheeks, spreading them. He deeply enjoyed listening to Dick's moans as he worked at his erection, taking it completely in his mouth before he started circling his asshole with the tip on one finger.

Dick gasped softly, tensing for the shortest moment before he actually sat up to reach into the nightstand, rummaging impatiently in the drawer before making a happy sound and throwing Ron a little jar of vaseline, relief clear on his face.

Ron took care to lube his fingers and went back to touching him, not wasting any more time before pressing one finger against Dick's opening until it popped beyond the rim of muscles.

He sucked harder at Dick to distract him from any discomfort while he pressed his finger deeper.

Dick had his eyes closed, grip on the pillow so hard his knuckles were white, and he seemed unable to decide if he wanted to push his hips towards Ron's mouth or his hands. "Ron- Ron..."

The air filled with the scent of Ron's arousal at seeing his lover so eager to have him. He had never touched Dick that way before, usually preferring to be the bottom of the two, but now he wanted Dick. He wanted to know how the man would feel once Ron was deeply inside of him, wanted to know how prettily he would moan when Ron was to find that perfect spot inside of him that had Ron almost scream in pleasure everytime Dick touched it. He wanted to know he could give Dick something nobody had ever given him.

Ron fingered Dick with two fingers as soon as he felt the man relaxed enough for it. He barely managed to avoid palming his own aching cock at the sight of Dick rocking his hips trying to have his fingers deeper inside but also to have more of Ron's mouth on him.

Ron let go of the man's erection with a wet sound, kneeling between his legs for a moment more to admire the sight of Dick sprawled in front of him, hips still rocking in his attempt to ride Ron's fingers.

Slowly, he moved until he was beside the man, not stopping the motion of his fingers, and Dick reacted with a soft whine.

Dick wrapped his fingers around Ron's erection, starting to pull at it, and Ron groaned aloud. Ron held his gaze for a long second, his heart beating fast at the lust and hunger in Dick's eyes, and after a moment he moved until he was just beside the other alpha's head. Dick wasted no time in turning and taking Ron's hard cock in his mouth, making a soft sound around it while Ron threw his head back with a long moan.

Ron let Dick do what he pleased for a bit, but when the other spread his thighs, clearly wanting more pleasure, Ron moved over his body, bracing Dick's head with his knees. He pushed himself in his lover's mouth, admiring the way Dick's Adam apple bobbed up and down as the man sucked him, but then Ron leaned down over his lover, covering him with his own body to take Dick's erection in his mouth once more.

Ron slowly pushed three fingers in his lover, set on having him pliant and open before breaching him for the first time. His whole being screamed that he wanted to take care of Dick, wanted to make sure he would be happy and satisfied in order for his partner to truly wish Ron would mark him as his own before the rut was passed.

He focused completely on pleasuring the man until Dick moved his hands to grip at Ron's hips, gently tugging until Ron got the message and started rocking his hips, slowly fucking his lover's mouth like he knew Dick loved. Dick made a suffocated sound of pleasure at that, mouth full of Ron's cock, but he also reached out with one hand that Ron was more than glad to take in his own and squeeze softly as he doubled his efforts to make Dick reach his climax.

It wasn't long before Dick tensed under him and Ron groaned softly, swallowing down all of his lover's cum, making sure he had taken all of it before raising from Dick’s body and pulling out of his mouth with an obscene wet sound. Ron smiled with affection at the sight of Dick completely relaxed, eyes blissfully closed and lips obscenely red and swollen.

He reached out with one hand, gently brushing his thumb over Dick's cheek, but then the man turned enough to press a kiss over the tip of his finger, his blue eyes opening once more to stare up at Ron as the man pointedly parted his lips to take the thumb in his mouth and gently suck at it.

Ron let out a groan, his cock twitching, and for a moment he debated if it would have been as good to just cum in that sinful mouth before having his chance to fuck Dick properly. But Dick spread his thighs in an invitation that Ron couldn't ignore and soon Ron leaned down to place a kiss to the corner of his lover's mouth.

"I won't let you out of here so easily, dear," he murmured, not even thinking clearly about his words.

Dick smiled at the endearment, reaching out to gently caress one of Ron's cheeks, and pulled him down for another kiss while the alpha took his place once more between Dick’s legs.

"I want you," Ron murmured, looking amazed at the man under him when Dick simply nodded and lifted his hips to let Ron take him more easily. He had never seen Dick so relaxed, so willing to just spend time in bed with him with no plans of returning to his own room, and for a moment Ron was unable to think that this was something they could have after the war, if only Dick desired it as much as he did himself.


End file.
